The friend you least expected
by DominaNocte
Summary: Ichigo is a bit depressed after losing his powers in the aftermatch of the Aizen arc, then he meats a stranger. Raiting:T (for now)
1. Chapter 0 - Meeting

The friend you least expected – C.1.

So it was all over. The soulsociety had been saved, Hueco Mundo and the hollows had been defeated and Kurosaki Ichigo had lost his powers. The world was spinning by its axis as it was supposed to do and nothing was wrong with the world according to anyone… except for the emotionally traumatized, war-veteran teenager to whom it seemed half the population has just disappeared into thin air.

To the one who had lost the connection he shared with his best friends and most of his family, the one thing which allowed him to fight for his (and his friends) freedom. The link that was the power which everyone he knew had looked up to and known that if Ichigo was there then surely he would be able to save them all and right past wrongs. The power and the thing marking him in a crowd, the influence that he had grown up with, which to Ichigo was as natural as breathing, as important as sight or sound, taste or hearing – gone. All of it, at once, no good-bye, no time to consider what he was giving up and then the pitying gazes from former friends.

Ichida who before had been a companion and rival was now being careful around Ichigo. As if the very mention of anything even related to the spiritual plane would cause him to break. As if a careless word could shatter him.

There was Inoue who meant well but who simply didn't, or couldn't, answer the questions Ichigo needed answered and instead went on about the interactions between the Shinigami and people she met.

Ichigo's family wasn't much better with Karin telling him to simply let it go – as if it was that easy – and Isshin, Ichigo's father, who tried to mix understanding with the very same attitude he met everything he found hard. By acting like an idiot. 'Idiot.' Yuzu had never really been able to see spirits, and still couldn't, which made her an exception. However she was still too young to be any real help and Ichigo felt that he couldn't talk to her about the battles, the doubt and the emptiness, for she still was his little sister.

Chad, bless him, was the one who actually understood and could tell Ichigo some of the things that were important. Thing like if someone had been injured, what was going on at the moment, what had the G-13 done to insure nothing like this happened again, and so on. Yet lately the Ichigo couldn't help but feel as if they were drifting apart, a distance had spread between the group and Ichigo, and even though he tried not to show it, it hurt.

Had he not showed he could be trusted with the information on what was going on? Did they think that now that he couldn't fight he couldn't offer any insight in what was going on? Was he worth nothing without his powers; were they really everything that had allowed him to become friends with the others? He had seen Chad looking at him sometimes as if wanting to say something, but the intervention of either Ichida or Inue had stopped him and the subtle looks had become further and further in-between until they had stopped appearing at all.

Tatsuki and his other classmates, Keigo and Mizuiro tried to cheer Ichigo up and while he appreciated the effort that worked for short moments at a time Ichigo still couldn't shake the feeling of overwhelming loss that threatened to overtake him the moment he left their company. And that was probably what had led him here; to the riverbank where his mother had died, sitting on one of the benches as the rain washed down from the pitch-black skies, trading dazzling bright colors from murky shades.

The water poured down Ichigo's face, soaked his hair and clothes making them heavy and formless, but the young man didn't bother even trying to remove the water from his face or find shelter from its could clutches. All that was on his mind was the loss of more than half his world. So he stayed there, not bothering to move as the hours slunk away until only the nocturnal animals kept him company. The only sounds were the one produced by the water hitting the ground and the rustling of leaves.

Slowly however Ichigo became aware that no new water was hitting him, yet the sound of the rain still washed over him. Raising his head the first thing Ichigo saw was the handle of an umbrella and the front of a gray summer-coat. Then the shoulders of a man and a kind face (with what seemed an almost amused expression) entered his sight and the green umbrella the man was holding was no longer shielding the man, but Ichigo from the rain.

"Welcome back." The man said when he was sure he had Ichigo's attention. "There seemed to be some heavy thinking going on and I didn't want to disturb you, but well" the man shrugged his now wet shoulders seemingly embarrassed "I tend to get attached to things I find in the rain, so I couldn't just go and leave you here on your own."

There was definitely a small blush on the man's cheeks Ichigo noted but didn't say anything. 'Really, what kind of normal person takes a walk in the rain in the middle of the night and talks to a stranger?' went through Ichigo's head and he tuned the man out for a while until the man offered Ichigo his hand and said:

"… and therefore I shall take you home for towels and hot coco." 'Wait, what?' was all Ichigo had the time to think before the man had hauled him to his feet and began dragging him down the street, giving him an amused glance and half-smile over his shoulder as he repeated something ha had obviously already said but Ichigo had tuned out.

"Well you see you are wet, which means you need a towel – or several and you have obviously been out in the rain for a while, which means you're cold and need hot chocolate." 'Oh, so that was why… had he been thinking out loud?' The man didn't seem even remotely annoyed that Ichigo wasn't really paying attention.

"Jupp. You did. Don't worry though! You're tiered and judging by the lines beneath your eyes you haven't been sleeping right. No matter, we will just have to…" Ichigo tuned him out the energetic talk again, to tired now that the man had mentioned it to even contemplate getting out of the man's grasp to get away.

'Were would I go anyway? Home isn't an option; dad, Yuzu and Karin will only nag at me and it's not as if I can go to my friend's houses – if they're even my friends anymore.' And so once more the depressive thoughts that for a moment had left Ichigo in peace came back with vengeance, however they weren't allowed to rule him for long as in mere moments they were interrupted by the cheery voice announcing that the two of them had reached their destination. The lock on the dork clicked once, then the door was pushed open on smooth hinges.

"Welcome to my humble abode; 227 Hanakin street; located in the calmer part of the inner city, no more than three blocks away from the shopping Centre and situated within walking distance to anything you will ever need." The door was held up with a flourish and a bow, the grin on the man's face accompanying the joking tone made a small (if tired) answering smile bloom on Ichigo's tired face as he entered.

"Now." the man clapped his hands once, startling Ichigo. "I'll see to getting you those towels and then start on the promised hot chocolate." The house was small and the ulterior was painted a deep blue with white frames, the inside was earthy colors, brown, beige and green dominated the walls and the floor-matts. The celling was the color of dark oak, the floor of the hallway covered in big, black tiles.

The man returned down the staircase which he had disappeared, made of the same wood as the ceiling, carrying white towels in his arms and when in front of Ichigo draped one of the towels around the teens shoulders. Then he took a careful step back slowly raising a hand to Ichigo's arm and gently, gently coxing the not-really-there teen into the kitchen.

The kitchen floor was also made of tiles, these lighter in color than the ones in the hall, the table that dominated the room was elegant but sturdy-looking made of what seemed like hardwood and done in a tasteful dark shade. The same wood covered the cabinets, if slightly more polished hinting that the table was well used as well as well taken care of. A window faced a small backyard where the grass was well taken care of. There was a medium sized cherry thee and a small patch of herbs around it. There was also a small greenhouse in the corner of the yard, big enough to walk into but in no way big enough for mass production.

It seemed peaceful and Ichigo found himself relaxing in one of the four comfortable chairs standing the rectangular table. The curtains were floor-length and a cheery flower blue and white matching the table cloth and bringing out the darker shade of blue on the chair-seats. The rug was a cheery blend of blue, white and a little red. On the walls hang paintings, one of a westerns-style dragon in midflight over a castle and another of a sunset over the oldest and darkest forest Ichigo had ever seen.

His host was graceful in the kitchen, not in the way of a dancer, but in the manner of long acquaintance with the place and confident calm. Picking two cups from one shelf and putting them on a tray were they were joined by whipped cream, a small container of marshmallows and brown sugar. A tray of chocolate biscuits and strawberries also found their way onto the tray which was then carried over and set down. Black hair was brushed back as the man turned towards the stove again where he added more ingredients to the now warm and steaming milk. Soon an inviting fragrance wafted into the air and the green-eyed man brought the drink to the table filling the two cups. In silence the two sat, drinking the slowly cooling liquid. The dark-haired man mumming quietly and letting Ichigo take his time to gain his decorum back.

He was grateful for it Ichigo realized, he needed this; silence, but one that wasn't forced on him and wasn't oppressing, calming and strangely trusting in a way. 'Odd' Ichigo thought 'I don't even know the guy and yet…' looking up Ichigo found the man slowly stirring the beverage in his cup and sipping from it with closed eyes and a quiet smile. 'And yet he seems to know exactly what I needed.' Ichigo studied the man, the long hair, the pale skin and the slender figure, taller than Ichigo by a few inches and seemingly stronger.

Probably at least a few years older, but it was hard to tell with the way the man's face was subtly lined by stress. The man had the greenest eyes Ichigo had ever seen and as he brought the towel up to rub at his wet hair he looked over the room again. Clean, but not too tidy. Cozy, but not all the way to informal. There was drying dishes in the dish stand, a dish towel in hot pink, white and orange (that somehow managed to not seem out of place) nearly covering the top layer. The china was of good quality and the knives and tools drying in the dish stand were well taken care of.

There was no dust and there was a newspaper stand by the door leading to a backyard and a pair of slippers placed beside it. A water bowl and a bowl filled with animal food stood on the floor on the left side of the door, the table being on the right in front of the window. There was a cat-flap or dog-flap on the bottom of the door and a faceted window wedged into the top half.

There was a bookshelf behind Ichigo on the wall accompanied by a grandfather clock that ticked and swung softly to and from. Books were placed on the shelves and at least half were on desserts and sweets. Somehow this didn't surprise Ichigo as it went surprisingly well with the man's mannerisms.

"Harry." Ichigo looked back at the man who was now looking at Ichigo. "My name." The man, stranger, clarified when seeing Ichigo's confused look.

"Ah, I'm Ichigo. It's nice to meet you." He nodded to the man, unsure what to say. The man simply hummed before continuing.

"Tell me Ichigo," 'So here it comes' Ichigo's thoughts turned grim 'not even this man could resist asking.' Oblivious the man finished his sentence. "…what do you think of cats?" 'What?' Ichigo felt his mind go blank.

"What?" He repeated out loud.

"Oh you see my cat, Fukurō, usually prowls around the house and tend to snuggle into unsuspecting peoples laps." The man smiled fondly. "She also tends to hide underneath the covers of the bed in my guestroom, so I am hoping you won't mind too much." He met Ichigo's eyes before taking along drink from his cup. "Some people dislike pets that get to close so if you don't want her to snuggle up to you in the middle of the night I'd recommend closing the door is all."

"…you named your cat owl." Ichigo couldn't help it, his brain had simply stuck on the matter.

"Why yes, I was trying out names when I found her, Fukurō I tried mostly for fun her and she seemed to like it, now the weird cat won't answer to anything else." The smile was filled with god humor and Harry pushed the tray of biscuits towards Ichigo. "Try one, I personally think they turned out well, but it's always good to have a second opinion." Automatically Ichigo reached out.

"I don't usually mind pets." He said to answer the man's previous question and then the taste of pure heaven ascended on his taste-buds. A small groan and an accompanying whimper fled his vocals and Ichigo opened his eyes 'when had he closed them?' when he heard the man's, Harry's, soft laugh.

Amusement was shining in the man's eyes and Ichigo found that the broad smile on that face transformed it from good looking into downright handsome with capital H. Feeling his own face heat up (and not only because of the embarrassing sound he had made) Ichigo quickly looked down and bit into the biscuit again, the flavor just as heavenly this time as the last. Once more a small moan escaped Ichigo without his consent and a quick glance showed that the amused smile was still present on Harry's face. Somehow it didn't make Ichigo feel bad, embarrassed yes, but not bad, as there was something satisfied in the smile as well.

"Well I suppose you like them then?" Harry bit into one of his own before dipping part of it into his hot chocolate and taking another bite. "Perhaps a bit too sweet, but not too bad over all." Ichigo, still blushing, chose not to look up for more than a moment observed the man's hands.

They were fascinating somehow; long and fine boned, short nails and elegant. Ichigo could see the calluses however, patches of worn skin speaking of more than one day's hard work. Answering some odd questions Ichigo was soon drawn into a real conversation and the two began chatting.

Even if it was more of Harry telling Ichigo about the things in the house as the younger man got curious and asked about the odd trinkets tucked away here and there. The stories of the how Harry had found the trinkets then turned into more questions about the man. Finally Harry must have realized that Ichigo was more or less asleep at the table for he decided it was time the two turned in for the night. The older man then proceeded to show Ichigo the guest bedroom.

Borrowing some clothes to sleep in and getting handed an unused toothbrush Ichigo was more than ready for sleep once he hit the pillow. Dreams ascended on the young man quickly, and fore once they weren't filled with pain or loss.

AN: Hi. Soo…news from me:

Bad stuff happened this summer and while I'm starting to feel better I still need time to deal with it, I'm getting better.

I'm trying to get my driver's license and looking for a job, it's slow going however I'm doing my best to get things done.

Good news! I now have a computer meaning I can finally write the stuff that my brain comes up with! Expect more posts, new stories and other stuff soon!

If I continue this story would you like to read the rest or should I keep it to myself? I have a vague outline of the rest of the story. Except romance, feels and studying as the story is mostly set in the gap between the Aizen arc and the next.

Anyone feel up to editing? English isn't my first language and I find myself having trouble with some of the word choices and stuff like that. Would love to have someone proof-read it before posting anything!

And as usual: If anyone has question, opinions, ideas of what could happen, find something they want me to correct, etc. feel free to leave a note.

Weird words used:

Hueco Mundo = the world of Hollows. (for more info, check out the Bleach wiki)

Hanakin, two words really. Hana = Flower and Kin = Gold

Fukurō (梟) = owl

Posted: 2015.01.17

Edit: 2015.0.17

Written: 2014.05.29

Vi hörs! (See ya'!)

DominaNocte


	2. Chapter 1 - The day after

Ichigo yawned and stretched as he woke, taking a moment to simply borrow down in the comfortable warmth surrounding him. The pillow and comforter was so fluffy and smelled nice enough that for a moment he was about to go back to sleep. 'Better than normal.' He thought and then he tried to figure out why.

Hastily sitting up Ichigo stared at the wall opposite him. That was definitely not his wall, and he was definitely not in his own bed. It was to comfy and not so short that his feet were hanging out as it should have been. The memories from yesterday was a bit fuzzy still, but it was clearing as Ichigo drew up his knees and rested his head in his hands. 'Right, I was at the riverbank again… and then Harry found me.' Ichigo was caught up thinking about the night before but after a few moments he felt something moving to settle by his hip. Looking down he saw a ball of fluffy fur. 'A… cat?' Fukurō if Ichigo remembered correctly, he watched as the animal buried further into its ball-like state. Slowly Ichigo stretched out a finger to stroke soft fur and as the cat shifted into the touch and began purring a small crocked smile found its way to Ichigo's lips as he lost himself in thought.

After a time, a minute or several Ichigo couldn't tell, the cat uncurled a bit and rolled onto its back before stretching and getting up. Observing the cat move around for a moment Ichigo slowly stretched out a hand to it. It stilled and cautiously sniffed his fingers, then nudged his fingers and pushed into his hand as if asking for mote petting.

Giving in Ichigo did as bid and even scratch it under its chin. Then it moved away stretching once more before jumping down from the bed, making nary a sound, and looking back at him before leaving through the slightly ajar door.

Stretching a little himself, Ichigo got up from the bed, shivering a little as he reluctantly left the comfortable heat behind. Almost stumbling Ichigo looked down and blushed. He was fully dressed, true, but not in his own clothes.

He had on a pair of dark gray loose-fitting pants and a soft blue colored t-shirt too large for his frame. Looking around Ichigo couldn't find his own clothes, but he found a pair of soft slippers – a number or so too big, but still better than walking around barefoot. Deeming himself dressed enough to make his way out of here Ichigo walked to the door. Pushing it open further on silent hinges and sticking his head out to observe the hallway outside the room.

The hallway wasn't all that big. In one end there were a staircase as in the other end there was what looked like the doors to another bedroom and opposite it another room with the door closed. The bedroom door was open about halfway as if the occupant hadn't bothered to close it fully. The corridor had four doors in total. One Ichigo now closed behind himself and two in the end to his right. Passing the fourth door, the one to his left, Ichigo walked down the stairs.

Memories from last night leading him, Ichigo soon located the kitchen and a heavenly scent made itself known. Pausing in the doorway he saw the man from last night, Harry, standing by the stove. In an uncommon bout of uncertainty Ichigo hesitated, not sure if he wanted to let the man continue or if he wanted to try leaving before getting noticed… but he didn't know where his own clothes were… and he didn't really know where he was or how to get home either.

Letting out a small sigh Ichigo squared his shoulders and prepared to face the inevitable. Raising a hand he knocked thrice on the doorframe, causing the man to turn. Upon seeing Ichigo he smiled.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. Um, thank you for letting me stay, but…"

"But nothing. I was happy to let you. Now breakfast is ready and I think your clothes should be dry as well."

Gingerly Ichigo sat down at the table already laden with food. Feeling a bit like a child as he was served breakfast in clothing too large for his frame. Harry was doing something at the counter and humming something under his breath as he handled a knife with skilled hands. Uncomfortably Ichigo served himself some cereal and milk, jolting when something touched his leg.

Looking down black fur greeted him and a purr was elected as his hand stroked the cat.

"She's asking for milk." The offhand comment threw Ichigo for a bit as he stilled and looked at his host.

"Sorry?" The man turned with a somewhat amused expression.

"Milk. She's a glutton for it so she won't stop bothering people for it until someone gives in." a fond smile made its way to Harry's face. "She really doesn't give up on anything." Despite his words however the young man had already collected a small bowl. Filling it with milk he then proceeded to place it on the ground where the cat pounced on it at once.

"Try some bread? I made it not too long ago so it should still be warm." With another small friendly smile to Ichigo Harry turned and continued working at the counter. Glad for the man letting Ichigo gather his bearings, Ichigo reached for the bread and prepared himself a slice. Buttering the slice Ichigo hesitated momentarily, the chided himself. If the man, Harry had wanted to harm him he would have already done so, he could have drugged Ichigo last night and he would have been to out of it to notice.

The bread tasted divine, nuts and raisins were baked into the fluffy white mass and the warmth left from the oven had caused the butter to melt ever so slightly. Letting out a hum of approval Ichigo opened his eyes. Continuing to eat Ichigo was soon joined at the table by his host who struck up a pleasant conversation, drawing the last of the tension from Ichigo's frame.

"By the way, do you have anything you need to do today?" Ichigo looked up in askance from the cat that was purring under his scratching fingers. "It's Wednesday," Harry clarified. "do you have school or work or something?"

'School. Shit.' Ichigo threw himself out of the chair, panic making his movements clumsier than normal. 'Dad's going to kill me. Karin is going to kill me. Fuck! Everyone's probably losing their minds now.'

"Calm down Ichigo-san, I've got a car. We can get your things and be on the way in no-time. Go brush your teeth and I'll get your clothes. There's an unused toothbrush on the shelf in the bathroom across the room you slept in. Ok?" Ichigo nodded and scrambled up the stairs and soon he was ready to go. The two of them walked out and Harry locked the door before showing Ichigo to a sleep black car.

Arriving at the Kurosaki clinic Ichigo burst into the house, his dad Isshin came through the door from the clinic, stopping in the middle of the hallway. Upon seeing Ichigo the man tried to ask him where he had been. Tried being the operate word.

"Ichigo! Where have you…" And that was as far as he got as he was interrupted by Ichigo kicking him out of the way.

"No time old man, I'm late." Grabbing his bag from his room Ichigo paused to see if there was anything else he needed. Deciding that there wasn't he ran down the stairs, Isshin trying to grab on to Ichigo only to be flung over the others shoulder. Martial arts really were useful sometimes.

Leaving the house again, internal clock saying it had only taken a few minutes, Ichigo entered he car again. Sinking into the seat.

"So where to now?" Harry asked with a smile, looking out the window Ichigo tried to keep his blush at bay.

"Karakura high. Um, please." He added sheepishly.

"Will do Ichigo-san." The smile might have widened just a millimeter in humor, but that could have been Ichigo's own imagination. Embarrassed Ichigo turned his gaze out the window, watching as the world outside rushed passed in a blur of colors.

Suddenly music began pouring in the car and Ichigo couldn't help his surprised flinch. Glancing back at the man driving Ichigo met green eyes for a moment before looking away again.

"Sorry. Should probably have asked." The man's smile had turned a bit rueful as he continued to concentrate on the road. "It's a habit of mine to listen to music while driving, if you dislike it I can turn it off or we could listen to something else. Afraid we will have to resort to the radio then however as all the CD's you'll find in this car is somewhat similar." Ichigo cast his gaze to the radio, still embarrassed.

"No. Don't. I… I suppose I just wasn't expecting it, but I don't mind." The music was surprisingly good, electric guitar and drums included. There was something about the beat of the song making it surprisingly catchy and Ichigo found that he hadn't lied when he said he didn't mind.

"What band is it, I'm not familiar with it, but…?" Ichigo trailed of, suddenly feeling much younger.

"They're called Ora Noctis which I think is supposed to mean edge of night, the song itself is called Pater Fortuna. It's supposed to portray the the story of a man falling in love with the Lady of luck and eventually manages to woo her, giving up his mortality to aid and stay with her."

"You know the language?" 'Who knew Latin nowadays?' Harry nodded, eyes still on the road.

"Enough to get by, not all of their stories are in Latin, they use Italian, Japanese and Dutch as well. They are actually going to have a show in town in two months and I've decided to go." The man cast a look at Ichigo before letting it sweep back to the road. "Got no one to go with though. Anyways, it looks like we're here." Ichigo cast a look out the window, and to his surprise he saw that the man was right. Unbuckling his belt Ichigo was just about to get out when a piece of paper was extended to him.

"My number and address, if you ever need someone to talk to." Accepting the note Ichigo nodded, unsure about it but taking it anyway.

"Thanks."

"No problem." And the man sent Ichigo a last smile before leaving, Ichigo who didn't know what to think looked on until the car disappeared in the morning traffic. Then he shouldered his bag and entered the school.

"Kurosaki! You're late!" Ichida's attention snapped to the door at the teacher's exclamation, the head of strawberry-blond hair ducking down for a moment as the boy apologized. Ichida had a hard time keeping his expression from showing his relief that the idiot was ok. The others weren't as good at it or just didn't bother to hide the way they calmed down once Kurosaki entered the room. Taking in the small change in the other boy's eyes and posture Ichida refocused on the teacher. He? Worried? Never. 'At least the idiot relaxed from whatever he did.'

Ichigo arrived to class about two hours late, the teacher obviously didn't like that, yet as she was in the middle of a lecture couldn't do anything about it. Dropping down in his seat he nodded to Chad and ignored Tatsuki as she glared holes into his back, the day would be a long one full of explanations and "concerned friends", if he could still call them friends that is. They didn't tell him if they got hurt, didn't ask what he thought as if his only point in hanging around them had been his strength. He wasn't dumb! Yes! He understood that they didn't want to "bother" him, as they had said. But he didn't think that broken arms fell under the category "bother".

The lesson was a fairly boring one, and as Ichigo had been late it was soon over. There was a ten minute respite between it and the next class that Ichigo didn't look forward to. The moment class let out he would be accosted by his "friends" who would want to know where he had been. Still thought class dragged on and Ichigo tried to focus on the material instead of what would happen no matter what he did.

Still half an hour is only half an hour, meaning it would pass sooner or later without care whether you counted the seconds or not. So the bell rung, and as most of the class left the classroom Ichigo was left with Ichida, Orihime and Chad.

"Ano, Kurosaki-kun, why were you late this morning?" Orihime asked once it became obvious that none of the others would ask. Gathering his things Ichigo answered her.

"I slept in, my alarm didn't wake me." He looked up. 'It's not a lie, I wasn't home so it couldn't wake me.' "Why?" Orihime wavered momentarily as he looked at her.

"I. eto. I suppose I got worried." Her face lit up in a light blush even as she fumbled with her hands. Ichigo shook his head and exchanged a look with Chad.

"No need for that, I can take care of myself you know."

"But Kurosaki-kun! What if a hollow had…" She looked away guiltily and Ichigo forced a smile to his face.

"Yeah. But they wouldn't have a reason to come after me." 'Not anymore' But he didn't add the last bit, Orihime already seemed to regret bringing up the subject. "Now come on, we need to get to class." He turned away before she had a chance of turning the subject around again. Then he asked about her thought on the last lesson, keeping attention on that instead. However as he sat down he saw her shake her head at the others in answer to some unasked question. Ishida nodded sharply, seems Ichigo knew who was going to ask questions next. 'This is going to be a long day.' He thought, before focusing on the teacher. Lunch was going to be hell, Ichigo just knew it.

Throwing his bag into a corner of his room Ichigo planted his face into the pillow. The day had been one long line of inquisitions. He had given the same answer over and over and still no one seemed to believe him. 'Is it really that hard to believe someone overslept?' But maybe it was because they were teenagers and wanted something more interesting to happen.

Sometimes Ichigo felt like he didn't fit in anymore. As if his friends were much younger, before the war against Aizen it hadn't been so bad yet nowadays it was so much more palpable.

Losing his mother had forced him to grow up a bit and fighting in the war had made it worse. Yeah, that far he had still had Ichida, Orihime and Chad. Then he had lost his powers and even those had begun keeping him at a distance. 'Why?' he asked himself. It wasn't as if he was defense less, it wasn't as if keeping him away made him happier. Sure he might me safer, and even that was questionable, but he sure as hell didn't prefer it.

He could have stayed out of the way when Rukia was taken back to Soul-society, he could have stayed out of the fighting in Las Notches. Fuck, he could have ditched before the fight with Aizen and the others probably wouldn't even have blamed him. It had never been about keeping safe, it had been about saving people he found important and making sure none of them died. The worst part was that he would still do it all over again to see them safe. Even if they continued to shut him out, even if it hurt to be cast aside as soon as his usefulness was worn out. 'Damn it.' Ichigo threw an arm over his eyes.

Restless he lay there for a few moments before the energy buzzing in his body forced him up again. Looking helplessly around his room Ichigo found he didn't have anything to do. Well, not exactly, he had things to do. Like homework, games or comics to read, but nothing to get rid of the excess energy. Looking out the window Ichigo shook his head. Leaving his room and putting on his shoes in the hall Ichigo called out to no one in particular.

"I'm going out!"

"Where are you going, onii-san?" Yuzu stuck her head out from the kitchen, ladle in hand and some sort of powder on her sleeves. Flour, if he had to take a guess.

"Just for a walk."

"Mm. Just be home in time for dinner!" Playfully she directed her ladle at him as if it was a weapon her eyes full of mirth. Giving a huff of laughter he nodded and headed out.

Walking down the street Ichigo still felt bitter. It was better than being home with nothing but his thoughts, yet it was worse as well. Ichigo had always been the kind of person who thought better if he did something practical. Perhaps that was why he had been such a good fighter…

'Damn it! Just a god damn explanation would help.' Wandering without a purpose Ichigo tried to get rid of the thoughts, after all, if they didn't want him around or even know what was going on he wasn't going to let thoughts of them ruin his day.

'Yeah, and why don't you pick down the moon and a few stars while you're at it?' For even if he did his best to ignore them they still insisted on knowing everything he did. 'Like today! What right do they have to interrogate me like that?!' Frankly it was pissing him of. It wasn't even the first time something like this happened, it hadn't been quite this bad before. Yet that didn't make him hopeful for the future, if it got worse than this he was going to end up hitting something!

A soft bump to his leg brought him out of his frustrated thoughts. Looking down he saw a cat pawing at his leg. A familiar cat.

"Fukurō?" The cat meowed and turned to walk a few steps before pausing and looking back at him. Bemused, and admittedly a bit curious, Ichigo began following. A few moments later he found himself in front of a door where the cat sat down and began licking a paw. Shaking his head Ichigo turned to leave only for the cat to end up in front of him, rubbing against his legs again. Shaking his head again, this time at the cat's behavior Ichigo crouched down to scratch its chin.

"Really, cat? What did you want me to come here for? Not that I'm doing anything important, but you shouldn't start leading random people around town. That's a bad habit you know." Talking to the animal for a bit, just rambling and continuing the petting session felt good. Normal. Somehow it felt like something he had missed, which was stupid, because Ichigo had never once in his life owned a cat. Nor had any of his friends for that matter. Moments passed and he could feel himself relaxing.

"Ichigo?" A voice suddenly asked from behind him. Startled Ichigo froze, making the cat let out a meow of displeasure and push its head into his hand to make him continue. Ignoring the cat however Ichigo turned around to see the man from yesterday and this morning standing there.

"Harry?"

An: So there's a second chapter. Nice! The wait is real thought. T.T I have some major problems getting into the mindset for this story, so don't expect the rate of updates to go up. Then again I do have some ideas for future chapters in store so they shouldn't be too hard writing down.

On another note: What is up with the manga?! Things are going a little far with the most recent plot-twists. Don't know if I love it or hate it. So question: would you like me to try including something from soul society as it is now, post-Aizen? Would probably be from Renji's or Rukia's point of view.

Anyway, as always: tell me what you think and I'll try updating when I have another chapter ready.

-DominaNocte

2015-12-02 03:25


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